Kobe Bryant said recently that unlike the way the Lakers went about it with their two previous (and ultimately failed) coaching hires, that he would like some input this time around in hopes of helping the team make the right choice.

“On the last two they didn’t,” Bryant said, referring to Mike Brown and D’Antoni, who both failed to endure the length of the initial contracts they signed with the Lakers before parting ways. “On the third one, I’m hoping they do.”

It doesn’t exactly seem like it’s a priority for Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to seek his consultation, at least during the early stages of the process.

“From time to time we ask his advice,” Kupchak told ESPN at the NBA’s draft combine. “He really won’t weigh in on something like this. I’m not even sure that we’ll talk to him prior to interviews. He is in our facility and from time to time I’ll go down and talk to him about a bunch of different things.”

Now, this doesn’t mean that Bryant won’t have any say at all, and as Kupchak mentioned, he and Bryant speak all the time, which will give Kobe plenty of opportunities to make his voice be heard.

But the Lakers are in an extremely difficult situation. The league’s glamor franchise wants desperately to get back to being relevant as quickly as possible after two consecutive dismal seasons, and rebuilding properly for long-term success involves getting a coach on board who can implement a system and establish a culture of winning that will last far beyond the two years remaining on Bryant’s contract.

L.A. certainly would like to get someone in place who could bond with Bryant and help the team make one more run at a title while he’s still around. But that’s the dream — the reality is, it may take much longer, and the franchise needs to choose the best coaching candidate available more than it needs to acquiesce to Bryant’s wishes.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.